The following section serves to better understand Canadians’ views on a variety of topics surrounding biotechnology: Canada’s global role in the biotechnology sphere , safety, issues surrounding biotechnology applications and the food chain.
Detailed Findings
Canadians hold a variety of views related to biotechnology and Canada’s role.
To begin, there is a high degree of agreement that Canada should be among the world’s leaders in agriculture and food biotechnology research. One in three strongly agrees and another 53% agree with this statement. Having said that, they are less likely to agree that Canada is currently a world leader in this type of research. Indeed, one in ten (13%) strongly agree with this view and an additional 52% agree. There is a sizeable group of Canadians that don’t know if Canada is a world leader or not.
Underlying Attitudes
Base: All (n=812)
Q53-57.Please tell me whether you strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with each of the following statements:
13%
33%
52%
53%
14%
10%
20%
2%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Canada is among the world’s leaders in the field of agriculture and food biotechnology research
Canada should be among the world’s leaders in the field of agriculture and food biotechnology research
Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Dk/ref
Irrespective of Canadians’ views on biotechnology, there is a sense that these technologies should be developed in Canada.
Focus group discussions clearly showed that participants were hopeful that Canada could play a leadership role and not fall behind other countries on biotechnology.
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It was felt that the risk that “bad” or unregulated foreign imports would be too great.
Indeed, the survey showed that a majority of Canadians agree that it is inevitable that these technologies will be developed, so it is better that they are developed in Canada. What’s more, few would rather these technologies be developed elsewhere in the world, allowing Canada to focus on other priorities and benefit from others’ discoveries of them.
Underlying Attitudes
Base: All (n=812)
Q53-57.Please tell me whether you strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with each of the following statements:
6%
25%
16%
48%
52%
19%
23%
6%
3%
3%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
I would rather these technologies be developed somewhere else in the world, so we can dedicate our resources to other things and get the
benefits of the technologies when others discover them.
These technologies are going to be developed somewhere in the world, so it is better that they be developed in Canada than somewhere
else
Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Dk/ref
There is a sense of inevitability among Canadians that these technologies will be part of our future. Therefore, a majority believe that we should focus on making them as safe as possible. Indeed, more than one in four strongly agree (27%) and an additional 57% agree with this statement.
Underlying Attitudes
Base: All (n=812)
Q53-57.Please tell me whether you strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with each of the following statements:
27% 57% 11% 4%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Although there may be some unknown risks, technologies like biotechnology are a part of the future, so all we can do is make
sure that its uses are as safe as possible.
Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Dk/ref
While the research points to concern among Canadians about developing biotechnology applications that divert from the food chain, there appear to be relatively high levels of agreement with using GM plants to increase the food supply. Specifically, two in three Canadians agree with using GM crops to help deal with potential food shortages, including 14% who strongly agree with this statement. The remaining three in ten strongly disagree with this statement.
Underlying Attitudes
Base: All (n=812)
Q53-57.Please tell me whether you strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with each of the following statements:
14% 51% 23% 8%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
With limited land and water for growing food, increasing the production of genetically-modified crops may help deal with a potential food
shortage.
Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree
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Online Surveying
The findings described in the previous sections are those from the telephone survey only and do not include the online completions. This was to ensure that the tracking data provided an “apple to apple” comparison over the years; past research had only been undertaken by telephone and mode differences had not yet been studied for this particular research.
In deciding whether to advise for or against transitioning a survey from a telephone to online mode, typically parallel surveys are undertaken and the differences and similarities in findings are analyzed. In this case, a small online panel survey of about 200 completes was undertaken, with the same questions as asked of telephone respondents. For both samples, demographic quotas were set (age, gender, region) and the same weighting method was applied.
While on many questions the online data finds the same results (defined as being statistically within the margin of error) as the telephone data, some notable differences were found. Note that:
• Confidence in regulations, whether on biotechnology in general or bioproducts or GM fish in particular, is higher among the online audience than among telephone respondents;
• Reported familiarity with bioproducts and GM animals is higher among telephone respondents than among online respondents;
• Support for certain bioproducts applications, such as developing biofuels (from non-food crops and residues) and developing
bioproducts from residues, is stronger among online respondents than among telephone respondents;
• Also in the bioproducts realm, telephone respondents were more likely to say they are beneficial for the environment and more likely to say they are willing to pay more for these products than their online counterparts; and
• Telephone respondents were more likely in agreement that
technologies should be developed in Canada, that Canada is a world-leader already, and that GM food may be beneficial in combating food shortages.
Although in some instances, we believe the anonymity of the online mode (compared to speaking to a live interviewer on the telephone) could account for panel respondents to be more frank could also lead to more “honesty” – for example in admitting to not being familiar with something – this does not necessarily explain other variances between the modes.
We feel that more in-depth analysis and research should be done into the potential mode biases regarding this topic in particular before advising AAFC to fully transition this survey from telephone to online.